Nelson Mandela communicating with his face says Winnie Madikizela-mandela, as
tubes in his mouth have deprived him of ability to speak

Nelson Mandela is no longer able to speak because of tubes in his mouth that are helping him to breath, his former wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela has said.

The 95-year-old statesman remains "quite ill", she added although not critical, as he convalesces at his home in Johannesburg with the help of a team of 22 doctors, after spending months in hospital suffering from a lung infection.

"The bedroom there is like an Intensive Care Unit ward. He remains quite ill," she told South Africa's Sunday Independent in an interview. "Though the pneumonia has cleared, his lungs remain sensitive, hence the tubes."

The 77-year-old added: "He communicates with the face, you see. But the doctors have told us they hope to recover his voice".

Mrs Madikizela-Mandela, who was divorced from Mr Mandela in 1996 but remains close to him and visits him regularly, denied that he was on life support.

"I have heard this nonsense that he is on life support. He is not," she said.

She said that it was good for South Africa's first black, democratic president to be home "in an atmosphere he recognises".

"When he is very relaxed, he is fine and it has given us a lot of hope," she said.

Mr Mandela was taken to hospital in Pretoria in June with a reoccurring lung infection and his three-month stay there led many to fear that he might be nearing the end of his days. His lung problems date back to his 27 years in jail.

Earlier this month, Tokyo Sexwale, who was detained with Mr Mandela on Robben Island and has been a leading member of the ANC, said that the former statesman did not consider himself ill.

"Madiba [Mr Mandela's clan name] says of his health: 'I am not ill, I'm just old," Mr Sexwale said at the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Houghton.